Community-Engaged Communication – Environmental Studies 380 (Students)
This is a project-based course exploring environmental issues integral to the local
community, especially the climate crisis and climate justice. As students, we will interact with
local communities of practice – interaction that takes as its starting point the experiences
and priorities of these local constituencies and which seeks to present those findings in
manners that are broadly accessible. Projects will focus on three primary objectives:
assessing existing strategies addressing the climate crisis and sustainability within a
designated community of practice, analyzing the strengths and challenges related to those
strategies and their applicability to broader change, and generating narratives (e.g.,
technical, creative) to inform the wider local community.
About Us
Gabrielle Venne (she/her)
I am a senior who is majoring in Environmental Studies with a double minor in French and Sociology.
Maya Weil-Cooley (she/they)
I am a sophomore, majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Women and Gender Studies.
Rebecca Toomey (she/her)
I am a sophomore double majoring in Environmental Studies and Public Policy.
Taking Action
Restore Forward expands the definition of who can be a farmer and how communities can promote sustainability. They work outside of traditional frameworks to promote a resilient agricultural and local community. Women typically bear the brunt of environmental burdens, BIPOC communities are not often recognized for their own interests, and there is often a discrepancy in who has agency in relation to the climate crisis. BWB and Restore Forward highlight these inequities and put them on the forefront of their work. They provide land to those who are experiencing enhanced vulnerabilities, grants agency to everyone involved, and allows individuals and groups a way to connect to their land and environment. While connecting with the land, their holistic healing approach allows these groups to heal their own body, mind, and spirit.
